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The Best Midrange in the World Right Now


There seem to be a growing number of posts which lament the fact that hi fi has gotten too hi fi, too neurotic, and just doesn't sound good.

As I thought about this, I realized that many of the most enduring, classic audio products (Quads? LS35a's? ARC tube amps & preamps? Apogees?) were noted not for their "transparency", thunderous bass, "resolution" or high frequency "extension".

No, what seems to have stood the test of time was old fashioned, middle of the road MIDrange. Is midrange the best benchmark for our hobby?

In many threads, a mention of midrange seems almost quaint and/or apologetic:

" the classic ________ doesn't have the "resolution" of many of today's products in the $150 to $200,000 category, but it still boasts MIDrange which will put all of them to shame!.."

I find this very curious, as to me, there is no high end without glorious, gorgeous, natural, startlingly lifelike MIDrange.

Please, support midrange.

And tell us: what components or combination of components can still deliver good old fashioned midrange today?
cwlondon
jebsmith73
167 posts
 
Rushmore speakers by Pass Labs. The best midrange for me in the world right now.
pawlowski6132
592 posts
 
DSC...I may have you matched at least:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vopin&1158109935&openusid&zzPawlowski6132&4&5#Pawlowski6132

Cwlondn; seems like systems have changed with the popular music and sonic demands. Everything today is bottom heavy and/or home theatre centric.
dodgealum's avatar
dodgealum
1,404 posts
 
I agree, get the midrange wrong and the rest cannot hold it all together. That's why it took me 2 years to find a speaker to replace my Harbeth Compact 7's--they don't do everything but they absolutely get the midrange right. Other than the Harbeth line with their Radial driver I can only think of one speaker I've heard that measures up in the midrange department--the Quad electrostatics.

My journey for new speakers led me to the Daedalus DA-1's. While they do not have the midrange purity of the Harbeth's or Quad's, they get very close. Like those speakers they are utterly unfatiguing--you can listen for hours without tiring--this because of low distortion combined with pleasing tonal balance. And, unlike the Quads and the Harbeth's, the DA-1's ROCK. They have all the dynamics you could ever want. They are easy to place and easy to drive. And, to your point, the midrange is darn nice if not quite up to the level of the best in the field.
nilthepill
842 posts
 
Arthur said what I am thinking. Taming down of upper high freq extremes is a key to natural midrange.
"When the spectral balance is descending, the feeling is also more comfortable. Afterall, tonal balance is relative to itself." a words to live by and set your system to. That is what I am after and got in my system. My analog system is set in at a point where you yearn for little bit more of high freq but don't get IS the rigt setting pint for correct midrange. If you then have extreme flat low end than you have made it. Excessive high freq ruins the music more than any other sound criteria in my experience.
Hence my thread in analog section which suggests to try out lower (and then some) (5-7 times the internal resistance) cartridge loading.
This is great thread, cwlondon, to open up many audiophiles' eyes (ears) who I believe are stuck striving for other 'audiophile' parameters- soundstage, liquidity, transperancy, etc etc.
wberdan
86 posts
 
Vandersteen 5A does it for me like no other.

Will
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